Electrical connectors may include receptacle contacts such as the receptacle contact 110 shown in FIGS. 1A-1E. FIG. 1A is a side view of a lead frame assembly 100 that includes receptacle contacts 110. FIGS. 1B and 1D are end views of the lead frame assembly 100. FIGS. 1C and 1E are top views of a contact 110. FIGS. 1D and 1E additionally depict a blade contact 150 being inserted into the receptacle contact 110.
Referring to FIG. 1A, the receptacle contacts 110 may be inserted into or otherwise formed as part of a contact block 120 to form a lead frame assembly 100. The lead frame assembly 100 may be an insert-molded lead frame assembly and may include both signal receptacle contacts 110S and ground receptacle contacts 110G. The receptacle contacts 110 may include terminal ends 130 for connecting with an electrical device such as, for example, a printed circuit board. The receptacle contacts 110 additionally may include dual contact beams 110A, 110B, each for connecting with opposing sides of a complementary plug contact of a second electrical connector. Such a plug contact may be, for example, a blade contact 150 (FIGS. 1D and 1E).
The receptacle contacts 110 may be stamped or otherwise formed from a single sheet of conductive material. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, one or more stamped contacts may be formed from a single sheet of conductive material such that, for example, the contact beam 110A is separated from the contact beam 110B by a space S. As shown in FIG. 1B, the contact beam 110A may be bent at a location f away from the beam 10B. The beam 110A may additionally be bent or formed to include a formed area 111A at a location labeled CL. The formed area 111A may protrude toward the beam 110B. In a similar manner, the beam 110B may be bent at the location f away from the beam 110A and may include a formed area 111B at the location labeled CL protruding toward the beam 110A. Thus the dual contact beams 110A, 110B may be generally aligned so that the blade contact 150 may electrically connect with both beams 110A, 110B when inserted into the receptacle contact 110.
Problems, however, may be created by such receptacle contacts 110. As shown for example in FIG. 1E, when the blade contact 150 is inserted into the receptacle contact 110, each of the dual contact beams 110A, 110B may place offset opposing normal forces NF on the blade contact 150, forcing the blade contact 150 to rotate in a clockwise direction. Thus, signal integrity may be affected, as the blade contact 150 may not maximally contact each beam 110A, 110B. Additionally, because the formed areas 111A, 111B are formed at the same location CL, an insertion force IF may be exerted to overcome the normal force NF exerted by each contact beam 110A, 110B. Additionally, the insertion force IF may be exerted to overcome mechanical resistance (e.g., friction) of each contact beam 110A, 110B. If the insertion force IF is large, placing such a force on an electrical connector or on individual contacts 110, 150 may cause damage to one or both connectors in the form of, for example, bent or broken contacts 110, 150. Moreover, the space S between each beam 110A, 110B may create a waste area 150A (FIG. 1E) where the blade contact 150, even without rotation, does not contact the beams 110A, 110B. Such a waste area 150A may affect signal integrity.